The Irish standard., 1887-10-08
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY.
The Pope's Brief in Its Favor, and
Hints About It's
Faculty.

~~-O-
Hints About It's
Faculty.
THE SYSTEM OF STUDIES
The Holy Father Does Not Desire to Inter
fere with the Autonomy Of the
University Board.
| From the the report made recently
by bishops Ireland and Keane to the
board of directors, concerning theii
mission to Rome, the following inter
esting extract is taken: 1t is to be re-
marked that the apostolic brief makes
no mention Of several practical details
to which the Holy Father has already
given his warm approval. For this
there are two evident reasons. In the
first place, the Holy Father desires to
avoid any appearance OF interfering
with the proper autonomy and freedom
OF action of the university board. He
does not wish to regulate, OF SEEM to
regulate these details himself, but to
approve the action of those to whom
their regulation is entrusted. In the
second place, according to the usual
methods Of procedure in the establish
nent of universities, this brief OF gen
eral appreciation is only the first OF q,
series Of Documents which are issued
in proportion as the work takes form
and consistency, eliminating III the
bull Of canonical institution. Ws beg
leave to add that we have compared
the brief of appreciation granted to Us
with those granted to Louvain, Lille
and Quebec, and we find that OURS not
only contains all that IS III the others,
but far surpasses them all IN the
warmth Of his approval and the earn~
estness of It's encouragement. AS it
was evident, however, chat the clause Of
the brief which concerned the propriety
Of submitting TO the Holy See the action
of the board of directors, being unlim"
tied in it's terms. would not only be
excessively onerous, but even imp1acti- :
bic if understood literally, we applied
through Cardinal Sileoni for all inter
probation Of the clause. The Holy
Father directed that an official inter-
pretation be given so limiting this duty
of reporting to the Holy See that it
would concern only ''the constitution of
the faculties and the laws regulating
government discipline and studies."
This decision was communicated IN g.
letter Of the cardinal prefect, dated
May 13, 1887, and in an interview held
May "A, Monsjgnor Jacobini, who had
laid the matter before the Holy Father
and received his. decision, declared that
His Holiness meant only to Indicate
that general supervision over the laws
and work of the university which is the
evident&ght Of the Holy See, but had
not the slightest intention of limiting
the autonomy Of the university, or ham
pering the liberty of the bishops in the
selections of persons and the regulation
of details, nor of requiring that such
matters should be reported to the Holy
See. Concerning the system of study,
the Holy Fathec advised us to confer
with Professor Mercier who fills the
chair of higher philosophy established
some years ago in the university of
Louvian at His Holiness special re-
quest, and who had been invited TO
Rome to lay before the Pope his views
concerning the adaptation Of philosoph-
ical studies to the special needs Of our
times. He and few other professors
are earnestly striving for reorganiza-
tion of philosophical, theological and
biblical studies, especially in the uniyer-
stiles, on such lines as st. Thomas
would be sure to approve and to follow
if he lived amid the discoveries, the
questions and the errors of the nine
teenth century. The Holy Father gives
to his views the warmest acceptance;
but their practical inJrod uction in in
stitutions moulded in the traditions of
the past will be very difficult. Our
being sent to him by the Vicar of
Christ may we'll be considered as prov
idential indication Of the will of God.
that in the free field of our new world
the course of higher studies should be
SO organized that. while the intellect
ual work Of the past should be in no.
wise neglected, the intellectual needs
of the present and the future should be
principally and always kept in view.
There is a reason to believe that, in
the frequent conversations held with
this eminent professor, his friendly
sympathy, advice and cooperation
have been permanently secured for
our enterprise. We also had the
good fortune to make the ac-
quaintance Of a distinguished professor
of Assyriology and Egyptology. very
learned in the Oriental languages, who,
we hope, can probably be secured for
one Of our chairs. We have similar
!.